Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to circuit breakers in a panelboards capable of optically communicating trip information to a neighboring breaker which repeats the trip information signal back to the tripped breaker which then displays the trip information on its face.
Discussion of the Related Art
With the rise of functionality for miniature circuit breakers, there is a desire for more data concerning branch circuits to be available at the load center. Important types of information may indentify which breaker has tripped inside the load center and the type of electrical fault which caused a breaker to trip. However, it is common for electronic miniature circuit breakers to be powered from the line side only when the main contacts are closed. This creates an issue for supplying the user with an indication as to why the circuit breaker tripped, since power is removed from the electronics once the main contacts separate.
Accordingly, several schemes have been advanced for supplying such data from the tripped circuit breaker. However, past schemes have been burdened with complexities in implementing such a system.